Adjusting the Gangster Male Lead’s Intensity [Novel] Chapter 7

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 7

Chapter Title: Episode

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First, I-heum Seo loses his life due to a spy. (Within this year!)

Second, due to I-heum Seo's death, Do-gyeom Seo steps into the underworld early. (Seems like it must be after meeting the heroine in second year...?)

Third, Second year begins, the heroine transfers in, and a bunch of incidents happen. (No idea besides the kidnapping episode.)

"That's all I can remember for now."

She stared intently at the neatly organized notes written on the notebook.

Currently, Yi-hae Baek was holed up in her room after school.

'I tried sorting it out in the classroom, but Do-gyeom Seo's gaze kept bothering me, so I couldn't focus.'

He'd given her such a weird look just for cracking a little joke. It was ridiculous.

Pushing aside her thoughts about Do-gyeom Seo, she stared holes into the notebook.

'This is the game I played right before possessing this body, so why can't I remember the details so clearly?'

As she tilted her head, wondering if her memory was really that bad, something faintly appeared in the empty air.

With a burst of static, a status window emerged.

'Why is it showing up when Do-gyeom Seo's not even here?'

It had always only appeared when Do-gyeom Seo was around. This was strange.

"Wow, this is the reward you're offering right now?"

The failure penalty was brutally savage, just like the original game's intensity, but the reward was pathetic.

A 10,000-point boost to Do-gyeom Seo's favorability was laughable enough, but Yeol Seo's favorability was even in the negative. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she'd misread the plus sign, then let out a hollow chuckle.

"Who the hell would do a shitty quest like this!"

Irritated, she kicked the desk with her foot and flung her body backward. The chair creaked as the backrest smoothly tilted.

'I'll have to do it anyway because of the penalty, but damn it! Did I really get isekai'd into a game? Me, of all people, just some ordinary nobody?'

She ground her teeth and let out a deep sigh. Tilting back made her gaze drift to the ceiling, and sure enough, the status window reappeared there this time.

She frowned, expecting the same content as before, but the text was subtly longer.

"......"

The reward had been updated.

Yi-hae Baek cracked a slight smile at the added "Infinite Allowance from I-heum Seo."

"Now that's a different story. Should've done this from the start."

But despite her cheerful words, her eyes on the status window were calmly sunken.

'It changed in real-time based on what I said. Meaning, it's observing my actions in real-time.'

And the one doing the observing was most likely the unknown entity that sent her here.

She didn't know exactly what it wanted, but her instincts told her it wouldn't be good if it realized she'd caught on.

Yi-hae Baek hummed a tune, pretending to be in a good mood as she stood from her seat.

'No. Last time, it seemed like it could even read thoughts. Pretending not to know might not work.'

She was alone in the room. No one would think it odd if she muttered to herself.

After pacing briefly in thought, Yi-hae Baek followed the window's position and glared at the floating status window in the air.

Then she slowly opened her mouth.

"What's the purpose of bringing me here? You can hear me, right? Answer me."

Another reward had been added.

"Guess that means 'Succeed the quest first if you want to find out.'"

She'd expected no straight answer, but she still clicked her tongue in annoyance at being toyed with.

The status window vanished. As if it no longer saw the need to converse with her.

She glared at the empty air for a moment, then curled her lip into a sneer.

"Get ready to get fleeced, you damn status window bastard."

Flipping it off into the void was just icing on the cake.

After that, she pondered her next move, but no solid plan emerged.

'It's only been a short time since I got here, so getting intel is tough. If I blurt out there's a spy, I'll just get suspected myself.'

Worse, a spy who overheard might target her. Rash actions were a no-go.

So, maybe train I-heum Seo so he wouldn't go down easily? An arrogant thought crossed her mind.

'Not full training, but sharpening his reflexes to heighten his guard would be good.'

Yi-hae Baek's eyes sparkled at her plausible idea.

Knock knock.

That was when it happened. A knock echoed from the door.

"Yi-hae Baek, it's dinnertime."

A low voice came through. It was Do-gyeom Seo, who came to fetch her every mealtime since day one.

Yi-hae Baek sighed and headed to the door. Opening it revealed him standing there, expressionless.

"I told you, I can go on my own without you fetching me."

"You're a guest, so I have to look after you."

"That damn guest bit! I've memorized the way already."

"It's dangerous."

How was going from the third floor to the first dangerous?

Yi-hae Baek resolved to leave before Do-gyeom Seo showed up tomorrow morning and followed him out.

Yeol Seo had probably gone ahead, not wanting to walk with her. As they entered the elevator side by side, silence fell.

"Can I ask you something?"

Yi-hae Baek broke the silence first, hating it. Do-gyeom Seo's gaze turned to her without a word.

"Who's your dad's most trusted subordinate?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The most trusted means second-in-command, right? Figured I'd remember his face to suck up properly."

She grinned shamelessly, but really, it was to glean quest hints.

Do-gyeom Seo stared, trying to read her intent, then looked away from her smiling face. He still hated seeing it.

"The guy always by his side. You met him when you first arrived."

She remembered him. The huge guy always standing by during greetings and meals.

I-heum Seo was tall and broad-shouldered, but this man was even bigger, bear-like.

'Visually, he looks more like the boss. So, is he the betrayer?'

It was plausible reasoning since someone always close would be natural. Deciding to stay wary, she walked on until they reached the dining room.

As Do-gyeom Seo headed to his seat, Yi-hae Baek glanced over while going to hers.

I-heum Seo sat at the head, with the bear-like guy standing against the wall, arms folded behind.

'That's the one.'

The scar above his eyebrow and his menacing face screamed culprit.

As Yi-hae Baek narrowed her eyes and glared, the man's gaze met hers for a split second.

'Whoa, scary as hell!'

It felt like locking eyes with a starving beast—her whole body froze. She hurriedly looked away, sat down, and rubbed her goosebumped arms.

Her instincts screamed that the man was definitely the spy.

"Cold?"

I-heum Seo glanced at her rubbing her arms and asked gruffly. Not out of worry—just polite inquiry.

"No. Just remembered something that gave me goosebumps."

"......"

His look said, "Before eating?" Despite the blank face, she was getting better at reading him.

Yi-hae Baek smiled awkwardly.

"Everyone, eat comfortably."

Since day one, I-heum Seo never picked up his chopsticks first but always said this.

He sometimes ate slowly while reviewing organization reports, so it seemed like his way of being considerate.

Thanks to that, Yi-hae Baek comfortably started eating while gazing at I-heum Seo, who was silently reviewing documents.

His long eyelashes cast shadows as he peered through his glasses, giving off a different vibe from usual.

'How do I make him wary of those around him?'

As she pondered deeply...

'No way, that jerk's still thinking about me? Sure, I think he's handsome, but!'

He wasn't one to talk much or eat a lot usually, yet here the status was making excuses for her. It was absurd.

And she hadn't felt his gaze—when had he even looked?

Sighing inwardly, Yi-hae Baek decided to ignore it and spoke to I-heum Seo.

"Hey, mister, I've got a request."

"Speak."

"Even if I act weird, you won't hit me or kill me, right?"

She planned surprise attacks from behind to get him used to unexpected assaults, but his reaction scared her.

So she'd broached it gently. But he tsked while looking at his papers, then lifted his head to stare.

"......So that's the image you have of me. No wonder your actions have been so brazen."

Wait, so does that mean he will hit her, or he won't kill her?

Yi-hae Baek pouted at his evasive, off-topic response.